’Tis the season for fire threats

Seven fires on the South Shore during the weekend, several of them related ot the use of fireplaces or wood stoves, have public safety officials urging people to take caution as they heat their homes.

Patriot Ledger staff

Seven fires on the South Shore during the weekend, several of them related to the use of fireplaces or wood stoves, have public safety officials urging people to take caution as they heat their homes.

“With the increase this year in heating oil and gas costs, a lot of people are using alternatives such as fireplaces and wood stoves, and we ask them to be extra careful,” Capt. Edward Belcher of the Abington Fire Department said.

Fires broke out in Hanover, Rockland, Abington and Whitman on Saturday and in Plymouth on Sunday.

Temperatures dipped below freezing early Saturday morning and were in the mid-teens – a low so far this fall – in some communities on Sunday morning, according to Patriot Ledger meteorologist Rob Gilman.

An electrical fire at 59 Daniel Drive caused little damage and no injuries, Belcher said. Residents noticed a burning smell coming from the electrical panel in the basement and called firefighters.

In Hanover, a furnace at 313 King St. caught fire Saturday morning, filling a detached 1½-story, two-bay garage with smoke. The fire was contained in the furnace.

“There was a lot of smoke but not a lot of fire,” Capt. James Gallagher of the Hanover Fire Department said.

Furnace fires are rare because most homeowners have contracts with oil suppliers that include yearly checkups, Hanover fire Capt. Don Harrington said.

He advised homeowners to have a qualified oil burner technician check their furnace before each heating season.

In Plymouth, a fire destroyed a tool shed next to the home at 30 Lady Slipper Drive early Sunday morning.

Fire officials are investigating to determine the cause. They suspect that the fire was started by a wood stove, Battalion Chief Donald Brown said.

When using a wood stove, “make sure that ashes are cold and taken away from the house, Brown said. People will leave hot ash on the porch and that will get the porch going.”

In Rockland, a recreational vehicle parked in the driveway of a home on Townsend Street was destroyed when it caught fire Saturday afternoon.

The 30-foot RV was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived, Lt. Greg Erickson of the Rockland Fire Department said.

He said the fire was knocked down in about 15 minutes and was prevented from spreading to the home.

Firefighters were called to a blaze at 1179 Auburn St., Whitman at 11 p.m. Saturday.

No injuries were reported and no one was inside the abandoned building at time, fire officials said.

Investigators are trying to determine the fire’s cause.

Amelia Aubourg, a spokeswoman for the American Red Cross of Massachusetts Bay, said house fires are more common during the cold-weather months. October through March is when the agency is busiest dealing with people left homeless by house fires, she said.

According to the state fire marshal’s office, there were 15,507 structure fires in Massachusetts last year, a 4 percent increase from the previous year. The fires caused an estimated $165 million in property damage.